Downtown Crowd Jan. 2018

POWER, STRENGTH AND INCLUSION, OH MY! THE TYPEWRITER PROJECT COMES TO TOWN CAPITOL STEPS IN PENSACOLA PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET 4-EVER THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Q+A

Cheers to the New Year

Free

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | JANUARY 2018

Downtown Crowd | January 2018 7

Editor’s Letter 10

H

8

14

contents 7 The Comeback of the Punk Rock Flea Market 8 Power, Strength and Inclusion, Oh My! 10 They Might Be Giants Q+A 13 Resolutions That You Can Keep This Year 14 Tangible Thoughts 17 Laughing Across the Aisle

So, my name is Will and I’m the new editor here at Downtown Crowd.

(And thank goodness too, because I almost never leave downtown. If this were the McDavid Monthly or the Beulah Bugle then we’d really be in trouble.)

I know you’re sad that our previous editor, Hana, has moved on. These things happen. It’s not you, it’s her.

Y’all can still be friends. But don’t worry, Hana’s fine. She landed a great gig and she and the hubby are fixing up an old house. She says she’ll miss you, too.

So, about me. I was born and raised in Pensacola, and my background is in daily newspapers. I spent years in the circus down at city hall, and now I’ve somehow convinced the bosses here to let me have a crack at editing.

There seems to have been some kind of mistake though, because they gave me an office. But now I like my office, so let’s keep that one between us.

Owners Malcolm & Glenys Ballinger Executive Editor Kelly Oden Editor Will Isern Art Director Guy Stevens Graphic Design and Ad Coordination Carly Stone

WILL ISERN editor ey, between you and me, I have no idea what’s going on.

See, I’m new here and, don’t tell anyone, but I have no idea what I’m doing. Don’t worry though, we’re going to get through this together.

Publisher Malcolm Ballinger

Editorial Assistant Tanner Yea

As far as Downtown Crowd goes, you can expect to see a bolder, brighter design and all manner of wonderful stories, just as soon as I figure out how to open the design program.

Fortunately, I’m surrounded by a team of (seemingly) kind and talented people who are going to help me get off the ground here.

Shout out to Carly for laying out this month’s issue of the magazine, not to mention her awesome cover design.

Next month’s issue is on me, so fingers crossed that we get it out the door on time and looking good.

So long as I don’t print the articles upside down I think we’re off to a good start.

Contributing Writer Hana Frenette Haley Weaver Taylor Purvee Advertising Account Executives Paula Rode paula@ballingerpublishing.com Geneva Strange geneva@ballingerpublishing.com Deadline for space and information is the 15th of the month prior to publication.

For advertising rates or news tips contact Phone: 433-1166 · Fax: 435-9174 DOWNTOWN CROWD is published by Ballinger Publishing.

Offices located at 314 N Spring St., Ste. A, Pensacola Florida 32501 Published by Ballinger Publishing

If I do screw it up though, please don’t hesitate to let me know. My email is will@ballingerpublishing. com and my office number is 4331166, ext. 24.

I’m excited to be here, and thanks for reading!

Downtown Crowd is locally owned and operated. It is published monthly for distribution in Pensacola, Florida. All Right Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions.

The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser.

Appearance in this magazine does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Ballinger Publishing. © 2018

Cover design by Carly Stone

A word from Curt Morse, Executive Director of the Downtown Improvement Board Thanks to public leadership and private investment, downtown Pensacola is already a vibrant and exciting place to live, work and play.

It will only get better in 2018.The year ahead promises many exciting developments for the downtown core.

Construction of the Southtowne apartments on Romana Street is nearly complete, and the first residents have already moved in.

We know residential space is one pillar of a vibrant community and we’re excited to welcome nearly 300 new residents and new retail space to downtown once the project is complete. Their presence will continue to fuel the growth that we have all enjoyed watching in the last several years.

As Southtowne is completed, we’ll be working with the Community Redevelopment Agency to make improvements to Jefferson Street.

By this time next year, Jefferson Street will be more vibrant, attractive and welcoming for residents and visitors making their way downtown and over to Palafox Street. We like to think of it as the welcome mat to the downtown core.

Of course, as more people come downtown they’ll need to be able to get around. Progressive cities offer their residents alternative means of travel that are more convenient

and environmentally-friendly than driving. So we’re excited to be working alongside the Gotcha Group of Charleston, S.C. to introduce a bike share program this spring. Soon it will be fun and easy to pedal your way from Palafox Street, through the Historic Village, down to Palafox Pier and more.

We’re also excited to see the work that is coming to fruition at One Palafox Place. The new breezeway that recently opened to the public adds fresh retail space, character and walkability to downtown. The Cowork @nnex upstairs is bustling with entrepreneurs whose energy and ideas are an important fuel for any city on the rise.

Across Palafox, The Cigar Factory has reinvigorated its space, and Perfect Plain Brewing Co. have just opened their doors on Garden Street.

We’re excited to watch as both businesses grow in the new year.

We want to thank all of our property owners, merchants, residents and visitors for helping to make downtown Pensacola the best place along the Gulf Coast to live, work and play. We wish you all a happy and prosperous 2018.

—Curt Morse

*Quayside Art Gallery is the largest co-op gallery in the southeast, and features the work of local artists from Pensacola and surrounding areas.

850-438 2363 17 E. Zaragoza Street Pensacola, Fl. 32502 www.quaysidegallery.com Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Sun 1pm-5pm.

tArot, PSyChICS, heALerS, ANIMAL CoMMuNICAtorS, hyPNotherAPIStS, ShAMANS

The New Horizon’s Navarre’s Annual Psychic and Healing Arts Fair

January 13, 2018 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Days Inn & Suites Navarre Conference Center 8700 Navarre Pkwy Navarre, FL 32566

An event for experiencing real intuitive guidance, alternative healing therapies, great information and the wonderfully diverse spiritual community in the Pensacola, Florida. We will have life-changing guests, services, and more!

www.newhorizonsexpo.com 850.941.4321 jeWeLry, CryStALS, heALth, yogA, eSSeNtIAL oILS, AND More!

The Comeback of the

by tAYLOR PURVEE PHOTOS BY HANA FRENETTE

Calling all punk rock lords and ladies: Punk Rock Flea Market Pensacola is making a comeback. After hosting the first PRFM in October, Bari Kyle, owner of Nearly Dead Threads and mastermind behind the flea, is bringing her punk rock vibe to West Navy Boulevard.

With the help of her boyfriend, Jeremy Barrick (owner of Lickety Splitz), Kyle is moving Nearly Dead Threads—now Nearly Dead Threads & Oddities— to a venue next to Remember When Sweet Shop on West Navy.

the flood gates opened, and there was a steady stream of people until the end.” Kyle said. “The consensus from the vendors following the flea was that the flea market brought them the best sales they’d had at a pop-up event— some of them even selling out of all the merchandise that they brought.”

As for the new shop, it won’t be as large in scale as the annual event space; however, it will give visitors a sneak peek at what they can look forward to next October.

“Before Punk Rock Flea Market Pensacola, there was some talk about maybe doing it twice a year. During the flea, there were requests to make it monthly. The problem is that it takes a lot of planning, and finger crossing for factors like weather, to try to organize this type of event. The plan is to stick to making it an annual event and have this smaller version of it within the new shop all year long” said Kyle.

She said this blessing in disguise was, more or less, forced upon them as she found out two days after the flea market that the space Nearly Dead Threads was in was closing.

PRFM was such a massive success in October that Kyle said she never even got away from her own booth to explore her creation.

“The turnout for the PRFM was even better than I could have hoped for. It was right at 2 pm when I looked up,

“While driving West Navy Boulevard to try to find a new home in some other antique place for my shop, I saw “Remember When Sweet Shop” had a space next to them for lease. It dawned on me that we didn’t have to try to have just a vintage clothing store when I could bring in some local artists and recreate the same type of environment from the PRFMP but on a smaller scale” Kyle said.

Nearly Dead Threads & Oddities will remain the backbone of the project, but

the addition of a smaller-scale flea gives Kyle and Barrick a way to showcase the artists and vendors they believe in all year long. Kyle stated that some of the vendors are from the flea market and some are new. She also said they would like to continue to meet artists who are a good fit for the flea market, as this is a way to promote PRFMP year round.

Visitors can still expect a large variety of products sold in the shop.

“Although a little more tame and refined, as opposed to the flea market, we wanted to be able to appeal to a wider market” said Kyle.

and even wet specimen octopi. Of course Kyle will still have her vintage clothing for sale along with fellow boutique, Vintage on the Rocks.

This shop is a way to give creative souls an outlet and put their hard work on display, as well as give the punk rock scene in Pensacola the recognition and attention it deserves.

“The bottom line is that anyone can find something here, even the typical West Navy Antique Row shopper” said Kyle. “Anyone with a love of the arts, a creative flair or an interest in curiosities will enjoy it.”

Nearly Dead Threads & Oddities will have a variety of unique goods from succulents and handmade Christmas ornaments to antique medical devices DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 7

Power, Strength and Inclusion, Oh My! A

few years ago, a diverse group of people came together to perform a local production of Eve Ensler’s play, “The Vagina Monologues,” in conjunction with Valentine’s Day. What started as a single night of empowerment has evolved into a week-long celebration of inclusiveness, advocacy, and strength known as FemFest.

By Hana Frenette In January, FemFest and their partner organizations STRIVE, Black Women Empower Collective, and University of West Florida’s Lambda Coalition will expand on their previous successes and events with a new performance piece, additional panel discussions and an even broader mission.

Kirstin Norris, founding organizer, said FemFest exists to bring intersectional feminism to Pensacola by creating spaces for people of all backgrounds to share their voices, advance equality, educate the community, and raise funds for organizations which advance the cause of feminism.

“The newest thing that I’m really excited about this year is the ‘Will of Women,’” Norris said. “We’re not doing the ‘Vagina Monologues’ this year, and instead we’re doing a new performance piece called ‘Will of Women.’”

Norris explained the title of the piece is kind of a play on words, because it’s a look at Shakespearean feminism and the women within the 8 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

works of William Shakespeare.

The piece was written by Ashley McGlotheran, founder of local theater company, Arrant Knavery.

“The piece is actually more of a review, with little vignettes of all of Shakespeare’s different pieces,” Norris said. “This is the premiere of this piece and Arrant Knavery— they’re a new non-profit, and their goal is to bring Shakespeare back into the community. Ashley and I had been talking about Arrant Knavery for something else, and based on the subject matter of ‘Will of Women’ it just made sense that it would premiere at FemFest.”

“Will of Women” will premiere at Pensacola Opera on Saturday, Feb 17, 7:30 pm, with all donations benefiting the Lakeview Center Trauma Recovery and Sexual Violence Program.

STRIVE, a local non-profit group serving the transgender community of Escambia County, will be participating again in this year’s lineup, and will host a panel

Womanhood in Lavender. Photo by: Ryan Eaton discussion on Wednesday, Feb. 14, titled “Why You Should Love Trans People.”

written by women, and the subject matter is focused on women,” Norris said.

In conjunction with the UWF Lambda Coalition, FemFest will include “Women in Focus: A Film Night” hosted by Tyler Arnett and Heather Albright on Thursday at UWF. Lambda is committed to the establishment of a campus environment that is free of prejudices based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Norris also noted FemFest will feature “Womanhood in Lavender” again— one of the most popular events of last year’s FemFest.

“The films featured are all produced by women, directed by women,

“Womanhood and Lavender” is organized and hosted by Haley Morrissette of the Black Women Empower Collective. The Friday evening event will celebrate black women and womanism through poetry, spoken word, singing, dancing, and art.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 WEST FLORIDA PUBLIC LIBRARY 5:30 - 7:30PM STRIVE Discussion Panel: Why We Should Love Trans People

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15 UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA 6:00 - 9:00PM Women in Focus: A Film Night

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16 THE BUNNY CLUB 7:00PM

The Vagina Monologues. Photo by: Ryan Eaton

Womanhood in Lavender

Lastly, on Sunday, FemFest will wrap up with a body positive event hosted

by Heather Albright, which will feature a panel discussion entitled “All Bodies are Good Bodies,” and will feature local art pieces, and several vintage clothing vendors showcasing clothing for people of all sizes.

In the past, all of the combined events of FemFest have donated their proceeds directly to one main beneficiary, which has typically been Lakeview Trauma Center. This year’s fundraising efforts will be a little bit different, Norris said.

“Instead of having one beneficiary, we’re actually having three. Each event will benefit a different beneficiary,” she said. “We’ve been able to give almost $10,000 to Lakeview, which is really exciting and amazing for Lakeview, but we realized there are other organizations who are directly involved in FemFest that could benefit from assistance too.”

Norris noted there are several people who serve on non-profit boards

who also volunteer their time and planning skills to FemFest, people who are members of these other organizations, and people these organizations actually serve who come to FemFest and donate their money, so she wanted to be able to divvy that money up this year to help some of the smaller groups in town, too.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17 PENSACOLA OPERA 7:30PM The Will of Women

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18 TIME AND LOCATION TBA

All Bodies are Good Bodies

Norris added that she’d like to see FemFest evolve into an organization, with fundraising events throughout the year.

“I feel like now more than ever we need to be supporting community efforts like FemFest. Although our political climate is harsh right now, the momentum is continuing to grow,” she said. “With the recent phenomenon of the silence breakers the conversation has become impossible to ignore. There are grassroots efforts right here in Pensacola that have been working for these causes for years, it’s time to shine a light on them and take an active role in making Pensacola a better place to live for ALL people.”

FemFest 2018 Beneficiaries:

The Will of Women - Lakeview Center Trauma Recovery and Sexual Violence Program

STRIVE Panel - STRIVE

All Bodies Are Good Bodies - TBA

Women in Focus - Malala Fund

All proceeds raised during FemFest will go directly to providing resources to these well deserving programs.

Womanhood in Lavender - Black Women Empower Collective

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 9

An Enterprise With No Limits A Q&A with John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants

By TANNER YEA D: What were the early shows like in 80s or 90s Manhattan? How did that affect what you were doing at the time?

E

John Linnell + John Flansburgh | photo by Shervin Lainez

ven after 35 years, 20 albums and a successful children’s music career, John Flansburgh and John Linnell of They Might Be Giants are refusing to slow down.

In anticipation of the band’s performance at Vinyl Music Hall on Jan. 28, we had the opportunity to sit down with John Flansburgh and talk about the East Village music scene of the 80s, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and their upcoming album, “I Like 10 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

Fun.” For more information and to purchase tickets, visit vinylmusichall.com.

D: Do you remember when you first met as teenagers? When you met, were you like “I’m definitely going to be in an indie rock band with this guy for almost 30 years.”

J: When we met, I don’t think the term punk rock had even been coined. So we certainly weren’t thinking about indie rock. John is a year older than me, and I think we really go to know each other in high school. We both worked on the school paper together. A lot of the ideas that They Might Be Giants embraced came out of conversations at that time.

J: To sort of paraphrase Pete Seger talking about The Weavers, “It was quite a time.” In 1984 - 1986, there was a huge explosion in the East Village of all sorts of culture. There was the East Village arts scene - which is like Kenny Scharf and Keith Haring. That was a real youthquake moment for the New York art scene, because up until then the SoHo gallery scene had been very dominant. New York was in this very hard transition from the Ed Koch era of New York being completely broke, and amidst that East Village scene was a very vital and popular nightclub scene with lots of live acts and lots of activity, none of which was getting noticed in newspapers. It was just this very underground scene, but it was also extremely popular. We had been kicking around New York for a couple of years doing stuff, and then when the East Village exploded, we just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

D: That brings up Dial-A-Song, which is something They Might Be Giants is a little famous for. There were some pretty radical circumstances that caused it: Linnell broke his wrist and your house got robbed. Tell me about that.

J: John was working as a bike messenger and had an accident and broke his wrist, so his wrist was in a cast. I moved into this apartment for one day, and unfortunately some of the other occupants in the building were drug dealers, and they weren’t too happy about me being in the place. So when I went off to work they set me up to be robbed, so I basically lost all my worldly possessions.

It was a rough patch there for a month or two. But when I got to my new apartment, I bought a phone machine and I was in an apartment by myself so I could dedicate the phone line to this Dial-A-Song idea, which was something we had been kicking around but kind of seemed like a bad idea. But suddenly when we had no ability to do gigs, it was a way to keep the idea of the band alive. We put up posters in the East Village. It just kind of took off and it had a life of its own because there were a lot of curious people who would call a phone line, but they would never go to a nightclub.

D: After that, you eventually recorded Flood. However, Flood doesn’t sound very different - not in a bad way, it’s just more They Might Be Giants. Why do you think Flood got as big as it did?

J: We had had a lot of success on an indie label beforehand just having our songs played on college radio stations, and we also had the good fortune of having some videos played on MTV. MTV was much less an extension of the charts back then; they didn’t feel obliged to play things in the charts just because they were in the charts. One of the things they wanted to do was play our kind of left-field videos in pretty heavy rotation. It was kind of a tailwagging-the-dog scenario, as MTV was in many ways very much ahead of the radio, at least as far as our careers were concerned.

D: You have done a lot of music for media. Tell me about doing the theme song for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

J: That is one of the better-kept secrets in rock music. Very early on before Jon Stewart was the host, they hired Bob Mould of Husker Du to write a

we do. It seems as strange to me as it probably does to anyone else. I’ve been in this band for 35 years - I thought I’d be in the band for 15 months.

D: In the mid-2000s, you shifted focus and started writing children’s music.

What was the decision for you to start making this children’s educational music?

theme - he wrote the melody to Dog on Fire, which is the rock theme part. The producers felt like it didn’t transition to the news music part of the opening, which was very much a parody of the NBC Nightly News. So we put together a music package for them, and the people at the Daily Show said “Ah, here’s a rock band that has done these news cues.” We just replaced the guitar driven version of Dog on Fire by Bob Mould with a horn-driven version.

D: What’s it like composing for media or writing for a cartoon or writing for a show as opposed to writing just a regular They Might Be Giants song?

J: Sometimes writing for television is not that different from being a tailor you’re just trying to make sure it suits the vibe of the thing you’re doing. But the truth is it all happens so fast, I guess that’s the biggest difference. When we’re writing for They Might Be Giants,

it’s a very open-ended thing: I might start writing a song and get 90 percent of it done and put it up on the shelf and not revisit it for like two-years. But there have been many things we’ve done for ad agencies where we’ve gotten the call at 11 am and it’s done at 5 pm.

D: After doing all these compositional pieces and having about 20 albums, how do you write new things?

J: That’s a good question. I don’t know if I have a really good answer. We try to up the ante as we go. We’ve come up with a lot of different strategies to create tracks and create sounds, and I don’t think we have a set notion on how to make a song. That’s the thing about writing songs: it seems like an enterprise that has no limits. It’s not hard to keep going, and we’ve also been very lucky that we’ve found the level of success that we can make a living at it and we’ve found an audience for what

J: Everything was up in the air - we just left Elektra after 10 years, and were just trying to figure out how we’re going to fit into the whole post-major label deal, which is actually a place where a lot of bands just break up. One of the things that was possible with our new record contract was that we couldn’t do records for outside labels unless it was a children’s album, which was very odd. We somehow had a dispensation for that, so we were free to strike yet another record deal as long as it was for a kid’s album.

All of a sudden not only did we have a regular deal, we also had the opportunity to do a kid’s project. When we started working on “No,” which was our first kid’s album, we thought it would be a one-off, like a Christmas record.

John and I thought given the type of band that we are, given the opportunity to write for kids is sort of a privilege, and we wanted to make a record that had the level of imagination that our regular records had but somehow be suitable for kids. We made this record, and it was the exact right time to do it. It went from being a one-off to being a parallel career. Without really having any plan

to do it, we just kind of tripped into this very, very successful kind of work.

D: That leads into “I Like Fun,” which comes out next month. What is “I Like Fun” going to be like?

J: It’s a big set of songs. There’s some range to it. We probably recorded 28 songs in preparation for this record, and pulled 15 to be on this set. There are actually a lot of electronic sounds, even though the first couple of preview tracks don’t spotlight that so much.

People who are familiar with the record, I’ve already heard a lot of people say “I really like how lo-fi this album is”, which is a little confusing to me considering it was made with some really amazing musicians in a really fancy studio. I think the reason it might seem lo-fi in 2017 is, in contrast to contemporary music production, it probably has more in common with records made in 1978 than records made now.

D: As you guys are beginning to tour off of I Like Fun, what should people expect on this new tour and what should they expect at the Pensacola show?

J: We’ve taken on a trumpet player, so there’s a whole new kind of sound incorporated into the show, so we’re basically reworking our whole live act.

We’ll play a lot of the favorites, but it’s really exciting to play Birdhouse with the trumpet solo in the middle and play Istanbul with the trumpet. It’ll just be a super size show.

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 11

Resolutions You Can Keep This Year

By CHAD RISiBLE

It’s a New Year, which means it’s once again time for New Year’s resolutions. If you’re anything like me, you’ll start in good faith and then just be overwhelmed by the whole thing. That’s why Downtown Crowd offers you six, easy-to-accomplish resolutions that will help you ring in 2018 the right way!

Work Out Once

Spend Less Money By Making Less Money

Getting healthy is hard. Between counting calories, the gym and having to be ‘dedicated’ to something, it kind of just falls apart. Instead of trying to lose a certain number of pounds, make it your goal to work out only one time. Maybe lift a heavy brick or run a treadmill but complain about it the whole time. Then the rest of the year you can say you’re “working on it,” and no one would be able to call you out – because that would be rude of them.

We live in uncertain times, and we wonder if our paychecks will be enough to get us through the next month. In order to help keep your wallet a little heavier, spend less money by actually making less money. If you get a paycut or your taxes go up, it’ll incentivize you to save because if you don’t, you might literally go homeless and hungry. There is nothing like the looming threat of disenfranchisement to really help make you balance your pocketbook.

If you do want help becoming healthier this New Year, join the YMCA and look into one of their countless health and wellness classes. For more information, visit ymcanwfl.org.

If you do want help saving some money this New Year, visit Navy Federal Credit Union or Members First Credit Union of Florida for financial advice and guidance.

If you want to travel more this New Year, Pensacola International Airport is offering direct flights to major locations like Chicago and Denver. For more information, visit flypensacola.com.

Organize Work You Won’t Do

Get Frustrated At Your Lack of Creativity

Buy A Book You Won’t Read

A messy desk supposedly tells of a creative mind, but you haven’t created anything since you did fingerpaints in preschool. You have trouble procrastinating and getting things done, so why not organize your life a bit. Lay out a schedule or organize your work in such a manner that you will miss every deadline and get just as little work done, but you’ll look like you know what you are doing. Life is all about keeping up appearances, so you can stay a stressed out mess as long as you don’t look like one.

Looking back on your art career (formerly mentioned fingerpaints included), you may feel like a creative hole needs to be filled. What better way then to fix that than going out, buying hundreds of dollars in art supplies, and then badly drawing a stick figure before giving up.

Art requires years of practice and study, but what’s that worth if you can’t just slam out a Rembrandt in a few hours? At least that $150 easel can make a nice hipster-chic coat rack.

Life can be hectic and confining, but sometimes it can be good to curl up with a good book to expand your worldview. This year, pick up a book like David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest or Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves — and just put that book right back down on your bedside table. Let’s face it: no one has time to read anymore, but if you are able to take an Instagram picture of the book so people know you have it, that’s just as good.

If you do want to be more creative this New Year, visit First City Art Center or the Pensacola Museum of Art. For more information, visit firstcityart.org or pensacolamuseum.org.

If you do want to read more this New Year, try visiting the Pensacola Library, Open Books, Hawsey’s Book Index or one of the Little Free Libraries scattered around town.

If you do want help becoming more organized and collaborating this New Year, visit the Cowork Annex to find a great place to work. For more information, visit coworkannex.com.

Never Stop Bragging About The One Time You Traveled The world is a big and beautiful place, and even just traveling across our own country is quite a feat. Why not take a trip this year, and then proceed to keep talking about that trip for the rest of your life? Whether it is over to Europe or just over to Alabama, your friends will never grow tired of you continually bringing up the ‘really enlightening and humbling trip’ at literally every social interaction you will have in the future.

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 13

By Hana FRENETTE

The subconscious of a city is a complex and everevolving thing. Millions of thoughts, ideas, workplaces, streetscapes and community gatherings come together daily to form an intricate and expansive psyche of a city.

In 2014, Stephanie Berger and Nicholas Adamski made an attempt to capture a glimpse of that psyche. The two launched The Typewriter Project: The Subconscious of a City on Governor’s Island during the New York City Poetry Festival. In January, that project will come to Pensacola.

The project consists of a wooden booth, housing a typewriter, a seat for the participant, an open window and 100-foot long spool of paper. The booth creates a collaborative opportunity for passers-by within the city to stop and share their thoughts, poetry or feelings.

The writings can be anonymous or signed, and on any topic the writer chooses.

14 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

Berger and Adamski, also co-founders of the New York Poetry Society, cited several reasons for creating this project, with the first simply being one of curiosity.

“I think first and foremost, we were really curious about what New Yorkers were thinking in different parts of the city at different times. We wanted to hear what their internal dialogue sounded like at particular times in a particular places. That’s why we subtitled the project ‘The Subconscious of the City,’” Berger said.

The two also really wanted to give people the opportunity to sit and reflect on their day or their thoughts. Berger noted our modern lives can often be quite hectic, especially for those living in a bigger city, and creating time and space for a little mindfulness and tangible creativity was something they thought people could benefit from.

“Writing on a typewriter helps in causing one to slow down and deeply consider what one is about to type because it feels more permanent. And the clicketyclacking of the keys provides an oddly calming effect,” she said. “Lastly, we wanted to give people the opportunity to

write poetry! Bringing poetry to people in innovative ways is a big part of The Poetry Society of New York’s mission.

Poetry has such a dull reputation amongst the general public. The Typewriter Project makes writing poetry fun, collaborative, and inclusive.”

Since it’s launch in 2014 the project has been installed 13 times in Brooklyn, NY; Manhattan, NY; Hamilton, NJ; and Raleigh, NC. Berger said the public response to the project has been overwhelmingly

positive since the first installation on Governor’s Island.

“There was a line to use it that was five to 10 people long throughout the New York City Poetry Festival that year. I’m glad we launched it in a place where there were already tons of poets roaming around,” Berger said. “The first person to write on it was actually Paul Muldoon, poetry editor of The New Yorker magazine. It was really nice to launch the installation with a bang!”

Because the project is completely dependent on the individual people who encounter and contribute to it, Berger noted that every installation so far has been really different and totally distinct.

Some of Berger’s favorite moments include the day same-sex marriage was legalized throughout the country and the project was set up in New York.

“The Typewriter Project was installed in Tompkins Square Park, a historic site of political activism and resistance, and there were just so many celebratory remarks that day and beautiful stories and poems of peoples’ love,” she said.

“It made me really happy that that moment in time had been documented in that particular way.”

The newest installation will be set up in Pensacola at three different public locations during January: The Museum of Commerce; The West Florida Public Library Downtown Branch, and The University of West Florida’s John C. Pace Library.

“Writing on a typewriter helps in causing one to slow down and deeply consider what one is about to type because it feels more permanent. And the clickety-clacking of the keys provides an oddly calming effect.”

Dr. Robin Blyn, a faculty member from the English Department at UWF had read about the Typewriter Project and invited Berger to be an artist-inresidence for a few days in addition to giving a public lecture on the project.

“We figured it would only make sense for the students and faculty at UWF to get to experience the installation,” Berger said.

Once the public installation ends, the scrolls will be taken off the typewriter and then shown at the Pensacola Museum of Art in April. Once the exhibit at the PMA ends, the scrolls will then be housed in airtight containers in Berger’s storage unit in Queens.

“We’ve had several exhibits that featured them, and we are always open to finding new and interesting ways to display and use them,” Berger said.

If you’re out and about in January and see a modest wooden booth with a spool of paper rolling through the open window, take a moment to reflect on your day and add your own voice to the chorus of thoughts within the city.

Installation Locations: Jan. 17, Experience UWF Downtown Museum of Commerce 201 E. Zaragoza St., Pensacola 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Jan. 18 – 26 West Florida Public Library, Pensacola Library 239 N. Spring St., Pensacola Jan. 27 – Feb. 16 University of West Florida, John C. Pace Library 11,000 University Pkwy., Bldg. 32, Pensacola

Stay tuned to subconsciousofthecity. com for information about upcoming installations.

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 15

Laughing Across the Aisle

Capitol Steps Comes to Pensacola

By TANNER YEA “Conservative or liberal, red or blue, left or right – the Capitol Steps are equal opportunity offenders, and they don’t play favorites,” said Allison. “No matter who or what is in the headlines, you can bet the Capitol Steps will tackle both sides of the political spectrum and all things equally foolish.”

Capitol Steps also does live radio broadcasts on July Fourth and New Year’s Eve. Called “Politics Takes a Holiday,” they are reviews of everything that happened throughout the year. WUWF will be broadcasting this year’s edition on December 29th, partly in anticipation of the live show.

No matter which way you lean politically, the last year-and-ahalf has been a little difficult.

Sometimes you have to take a step back from the scandals and the hearsay to just laugh at how ridiculous the whole thing is.

Luckily, Capitol Steps is coming to Pensacola to provide just such a source of humorous relief.

Started in December of 1981, Capitol Steps is a satirical comedy troupe composed of former Capitol Hill staffers who decided to take a break from politicking and instead rip into the headlines of the era. Though the troupe has grown to include more than just staffers, their bipartisan comedy still strives to knock all politicians down a peg.

The show itself is being presented at the Saenger Theatre, and is being hosted by WUWF. Trish Allison, Director of Member Services & Engagement for WUWF, said Capitol Steps have come to Pensacola around 15 times. “WUWF has proudly hosted the troupe every other year since the 1980s,” said Allison.

Allison said that Capitol Steps’ appearance is WUWF’s largest fundraising event, with proceeds from the event going towards paying

for local, national and international programming for the station. WUWF is the sole sponsor of the event, so all proceeds will go directly towards them.

“The Capitol Steps has been entertaining audiences for over 30 years. No matter who holds office, there’s never a shortage of material,” said Allison. “We continue to bring the Capitol Steps to Pensacola because it’s a fun event, filled with comedy, music and entertainment.”

Capitol Steps will be performing on January 19 at 7:30 pm at the Saenger Theatre. Tickets start at $43, and WUWF Members receive 10 percent off. To purchase tickets, visit pensacolasaenger.com. For more information on Capitol Steps, visit capsteps.com.

Capitol Steps not only includes satirical skits of modern politics, but parody songs that pay tribute to all kinds of music and lambast current elected officials. Capitol Steps has produced over 30 albums of the songs they’ve performed each year.

Their newest one is titled Orange Is the New Barack, and contains songs such as “Wake Me Up in Mar-aLago,” “Angry Progressive Nursery Rhymes,” and “We Warm the World.”

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 17

Albums: What we’re listening to this month MUTOID MAN War Moans

ANGel OLSEN PHASES

by tanner yea – Mutoid Man’s second album, War Moans, came out in the tail end of July. However, as people were starting to assemble their year-end ‘Best Of’ lists, a lot of metal fans ranked this one pretty much near the top, so I decided to check it out. Mutoid Man’s sound is both dynamic and hard to describe – it’s easy to see influences from acts like Motorhead, Rush, Voivod, Fall STANDOUT TRACKS: of Troy and even label-mates Tera Me- Melt Your Mind los. Hard driving riffs alternate with ob- Date With the Devil tuse time signatures and polyrhythms, War Moans distinguishing it from straightforward rock into something more akin to metalcore or prog. Singer Stephen Brodsky sings clean throughout the record, but uses screams and howls to emphasize parts of the songs. This is also the first album with bassist Nick Cageao, and the dueling syncopation between him and Brodsky is mesmerizing. Combine that with hard driving and unique drum fills by Ben Koller, and lyrics about glaciers, death and barbarians, and you get a unique project that is both extreme and thought provoking.

by Carly Stone – Angel Olsen is not from this planet. As her name and overall presence might suggest, she is definitely from someplace far beyond the constraints of this galaxy. Divine messenger or not, Olsen has become one of my favorite artists over the past few years and with good reason. Hailing from St. Louis, Olsen began writing her own music in high school shortly before moving to Chicago after graduation. She then rose to fame collaborating with the likes of Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Tim Kinsella among others.

Her second studio album Burn Your Fire for No Witness introduced “Hi-Five” as a single and the rest was history. Her newest studio album, Phases, is a collection of B-sides, covers and demos that showcase Olsen as the persistent truth-teller that she has remained to be throughout the years. Her haunting cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Tougher Than the Rest” is somehow even more unapologetic with Olsen singing with the utmost melancholy, “Well ‘round here baby I learned you get what you can get / So if you’re rough enough for

Jagjaguwar Records

Sargent House

love / Honey I’m tougher than the rest.”

Another favorite, “Fly On Your Wall,” was cut from Olsen’s last album My Woman, though I’m not entirely sure why as it is definitely one of the standout tracks on Phases. While sometimes very distant sounding and oftentimes downright sad, Phases is most likely my most treasured album of 2017 and certainly the one that makes me the happiest.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Tougher Than the Rest Fly On Your Wall Special

Movie reviews (based solely on the trailer)

BY TANNER YEA

Paddington 2

The Post

Based on the famous book series, the loveable bear Paddington once again returns to the silver screen. I will admit full stop that this is not my kind of movie, but I can see the merits of it – Paddington is a beloved character that is kind of a light-hearted and needed departure from the rigors of real life. The movie has a great amount of starpower too, with Jim Broadbent and Hugh Grant having roles. What is odd is that Movie Insider says a Paddington 3 is already in development, which is in my opinion kind of presumptuous. Either way, the movie looks like an innocent, family-friendly romp.

A docudrama about the Washington Post’s exposure of the Pentagon Papers in 1971, which helped show the US public the realities of the Vietnam War. Staring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, this movie is notcoincidentally timely due to Washington Post’s recent importance due to their reports on sexual assault.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this movie was basically Oscar bait – with Spielberg directing and a host of co-stars like Alison Brie and David Cross, this is just screaming for a nomination. I’m looking forward to it.

January 12

18 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

January 12

MAggie rogers NOW THAT THE LIGHT IS FADING

YAEJI EP2

GODMODE

CAPITOL RECORDS

BY HALEY WEAVER – In the summer of 2016, a video of Pharrell Williams listening in awe to a demo of “Alaska” by Maggie Rogers during a Masterclass at NYU went viral. It wasn’t Rogers’ first creation; in fact, she’d released two albums and several tracks before then on Bandcamp. But “Alaska” proved to be her TV series-worthy key to fame, earning her a headline tour, press circuit, fans upon fans, the works.

Rogers was a big part of my 2017, with her EP Now That The Light Is Fading a backing soundtrack in my daily life. Her sound is unique, in that it’s singer-songwriter folk but with a pop influence that makes it dreamy and vibrant. Rogers has stated that nature is a prominent influence for her, that it is her “place” and where she finds the most inspiration, and it proves to be the defining characteristic that differentiates her from acts such as Broods and Ella Vos. The opener, “Color Song,” is backed by crickets and harmonies in lieu of instrumentation, and is lyrical representation of a Monet painting, while “Better” uses distant bird chirping to evoke the feeling of driving down a coastal highway.

The production on both “On + Off” and “Alaska” is striking, layered expertly and re-

lying heavily on harmony to create a mood of simultaneous nostalgia and the need to dance defiantly around the house. “Dog Years” stands out as particularly poignant to me, a song about life after graduating college and wanting to make the most of the time you’ve been given even in your uncertainties. It’s hard to tell what direction Rogers is leaning to with Now That The Light Is Fading, especially considering how folk-based her prior releases have been and how her current inclusion of synth is a popular method in the current music scene. Either way, I look forward to hearing more from her in the coming year.

STANDOUT TRACKS: On + Off Alaska Dog Years

by Will Isern– I could hardly be called an avid listener of house music, but there’s something about Yaeji that draws me in.

The New York City-based, 24-year-old producer and vocalist – whose real name is Kathy Yaeji Lee – has just a handful of tracks to her name, but she’s already been dubbed by Pitchfork as “house music’s most exciting new voice.” Yaeji’s hip hop-inspired house music ranges from oozing subtle energy, as on “New York 93,” STANDOUT TRACKS: to full blown trap-pop on “Drink I’m Sippin Drink I’m Sippin On On.” The single “Raingurl,” with its infecRaingurl tious chorus and four-on-the-floor beat, Feel It Out is one of those songs that could be a huge smash if only enough people could be exposed to it. Yaeji’s voice, presented in a mix of English and Korean, rolls out in smoky whisper, and, as many writers have been quick to point out, sounds unlike anything else in house music today.

Her lyrics, which most listeners will have to look up and translate to understand, are abstract and perhaps subjective in meaning, though for most listeners it won’t matter. Because that’s the thing about Yaeji: I might have no idea what’s she’s singing about, but it sounds so good I don’t care.

BY HALEY WEAVER

Call Me By Your Name

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

This movie has been out for a couple months in Los Angeles and New York City but releases nationwide in January. With stunning cinematography and leading men Armie Hammer (an established favorite tall man of Hollywood) and Timothy Chalamet (a soon-to-be favorite indie boy newcomer), Call Me By Your Name tells the adapted story of two young men and their journey of love and heartbreak in the Italian countryside in 1983. It’s a leading film for nominations this awards season, despite the controversy that always comes with LGBT love stories. I’ve been waiting to see this movie for the better part of 2017, and have gotten emotional just watching the trailer. Genuinely excited.

Going to start by saying I didn’t know the Maze Runner film series has been successful enough to merit any further sequels. It’s also especially amusing to see Dylan O’Brien, the star of the series, return to playing what is supposed to be a baby-faced seventeenyear-old boy after playing Mitch Rapp, a mid-twenties super-human CIA operative with full facial hair and a dead fiancé in American Assassin. Obviously actors do this all the time so who knows why it’s so funny to me, but while we’re asking questions who is still asking for Maze Runner movies? I saw the first one after having read the book series, only to see O’Brien look pretty on a big screen. It was lackluster enough that even he didn’t make it worth my time.

rECENTLY RELEASED

JANUARY 26

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 19

Date line D ow n t own Vinyl Music Hall

Vinyl Music Hall hosts a variety of events, and January features original artists, events and once-in-a-lifetime entertainment. For more information and to purchase tickets for any of these events, visit vinylmusichall.com.

Jan. 5: Big Deal Burlesque Jan. 11: Sister Hazel Jan. 13: Sabotage – Tribute To The Beastie Boys Jan. 17: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Jan. 19: The Queers Jan. 22: The Machine performs Pink Floyd Jan. 26: Crown The Empire Jan. 27: Felly Jan. 28: They Might Be Giants Jan. 31: Futurebirds

Pensacola Ice Flyers

Throughout December Come and cheer for our local team as the Pensacola Ice Flyers gear up for their 2017-2018 season. With a new coach and new energy, they are determined to continue their dominance in the Southern Professional Hockey League. All games listed below are home games. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit pensacolaiceflyers.com.

Jan. 12: vs. Birmingham Bulls Jan. 13: vs. Birmingham Bulls Jan. 14: vs. Macon Mayhem Jan. 26: vs. Huntsville Havoc Jan. 27: vs. Huntsville Havoc

the whole of Pensacola Bay to see. Make sure not to miss the spectacle, as it only comes once a year.

Pensacola Mardi Gras Kick Off Celebration

January 5 To kick off this fantastic Mardi Gras season, Pensacola Mardi Gras, Inc presents the 2018 Pensacola Mardi Gras Kick Off Celebration. Pensacola’s best parading Mardi Gras Krewe’s will have their float and their entire Krewe on Palafox and Government Streets, where their Krewe will be ceremoniously blessed and proclaimed ready to participate. Each Krewe will be in costume and will have its royalty present. A Father, along with the Town Crier T. Bubba Bechtol, will bless each individual float, the City of Pensacola, and the entire Pensacola Mardi Gras season. The party starts at 5 pm as all the Krewe’s and all of Pensacola join together and ring in the 2018 Mardi Gras season.

Black Jacket Symphony Presents: Tom Petty’s Damn the Torpedoes

January 6 To respect the passing of one First City Lights of music’s legends, Black Festival Jacket Symphony will be preThrough January 28 senting their take on Tom PetThroughout December and ty’s legendary album, Damn January, downtown Pensacola the Torpedoes. With half the will come alive in a festival of set being a full orchestralights. With over half-a-million tion and the other half being white lights strung from trees a rock performance, the perand buildings from Garden to formances straddle the line Main Street on Palafox, you between elegance and excan feel the spirit of the sea- plosive stadium-style perforson every evening. And at the mances. Not to mention the end of Palafox Pier, a 30 foot spectacular light show that tall Christmas tree stands for accompanies the second act!

20 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

Catch Capitol Steps at the Saenger Theatre on January 19th The performance starts at 8 pm at Saenger Theatre. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit pensacolasaenger.com.

Pensacola Beach 10k, 5k and Half Marathon

January 13 Run along the beachfront shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico in the Pensacola Beach Half Marathon, 10K & 5K. The race features a course that’s open to both runners and walkers (in the 10K and 5K races) that takes participants along city’s scenic waterfront, between the Gulf of Mexico and the Santa Rosa Sound. The race is also a flexible one for participants who aren’t sure exactly which race they want to run — if you’ve registered for the 10K and decide you want to run the half-marathon in mid-race or vice versa, you’re welcome to do so. For more information and to register, visit pensacolarunners.com.

Pensacola Symphony Orchestra Presents: Beethoven & Blue Jeans

January 13 The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra starts off 2018 with their famous Beethoven & Blue Jeans performance.

There will be something for everyone as we welcome an electric violinist to perform his own composition, and the orchestra shares one of Beethoven’s most well known works - Symphony No. 5.

Dress is distinctly casual as the audience, orchestra and conductor will all be in denim.

The performance starts at 7:30 PM at the Saenger Theatre, and tickets start at $32.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit pensacolasaenger.com.

The Typewriter Project: Poetry as Public Art

January 17 “The Typewriter Project: The Subconscious of the City” is a project that draws on Surrealist arts of assemblage and assumes, along with the Comte de Lautréamont, that “poetry should be made by all.” The month-long experiment will kickoff with the Jan. 17 installment of the Experience UWF Downtown Lecture Series. The Typewriter Project installation will be featured for the public to participate at the installation. The installation will be located at the Museum of Commerce, with reception for the event starting at 5:30 pm. For more information on additional installations of the series or The Typewriter Project, visit uwf.edu/downtownlectures.

Could you be our next cover model?

GS EDDNDIN W SEVENTEEN TWO THOUSA IDAL A GUIDE TO BRBLISS BEAUTY &

REAL LOVE

COUPLES FOUR AREA EIR LOVE, CELEBRATE TH A STYLE OL AC PENS L 5 TRADITIONA K RULES TO BREA UR YO ON Y WEDDING DA

2017 WINNER MANISHA AGRAWAL

FEBRUARY

We’re looking for the perfect wedding model for the cover of Pensacola Magazine: Weddings 2018, and that model could be you!

.COM AGAZINE NSACOLAM E|1 MAGAZIN 2017 • PE PENSACOLA

Submit up to three of your individual wedding photos (high resolution please) to Kelly@ballingerpublishing.com, and you could be featured on the cover of the February 2018 issue.

Editorial-style shots by your professional photographer are preferred.

For more information, visit www.pensacolamagazine.com or email us at the address above.

Please send us the photos by January 22, 2018.

Date line D ow n t own WUWF Presents: Capitol Steps

January 19 If you’re tired of hearing all the negative news about politics, why not take a break from it and laugh about it with Capitol Steps – America’s leading political comedy troupe. The Steps have been entertaining fans by parodying politicians, and the offices that once employed them, since 1981. A troupe of former Democrats, Republicans, and all persuasions in between, come together to capitalize on the abundant material politics provides. Priding themselves as “equal opportunity offenders,” the Steps scour the

headlines - political and social – for material. As the Steps themselves say – they “put the ‘MOCK’ in democracy!”

The show starts at 7:30 pm at the Saenger Theatre, with tickets starting at $43. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit pensacolasaenger.com.

Madama Butterfly January 26 Considered Puccini’s greatest operatic masterpiece, Madama Butterfly explores the depth of human emotions through tender duets and breathtaking arias.

Set in Nagasaki, Japan, an innocent geisha’s love for an American naval officer

begins with hope but ends in despair. Blossoms of love turn into tears of betrayal as Cio-Cio San is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice. Sung in Italian with English supertitles, don’t miss out on the opera of a lifetime. The performance starts at 7:30 pm at the Saenger theatre. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit pensacolasaenger.com.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

January 26 – February 11 One of the most enduring shows of all time, this is the

Catch They Might Be Giants at Vinyl Music Hall on January 28th

22 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

irresistible family musical about the trials and triumphs of Joseph, Israel’s favorite son. Colorful and comic and toetappingly brilliant, you will not want to miss this performance. Directed by Mario D. Cieri, music direction by Ginger Caro and choreography by Michael Dennis, make sure to catch the story at Pensacola little Theatre. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com

They Might Be Giants

January 28 Touring for their 20th studio album, I Like Fun, They Might

Be Giants will be returning to Vinyl Music Hall. Returning with their unique brand of experimental, humorous and high-energy music, they’ll be backed by a full band including legendary trumpet player Curt Ramm. Make sure to pick up a copy of Downtown Crowd to read our interview with guitarist John Flansburgh. The show starts at 7 pm and tickets start at $22.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit vinylmusichall.com.

Happy New Year from SlipS Olive DrOp Martini Bar

OWNING CAN SAVE% 40 ALMOST AL OF RENT S! PAYMENT

CALL ME To Find Out How You May Be Able To Move In A Home With NO MONEY DOWN. Simone Sands, Realtor © Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty 17 West Cedar Street, Suite 2, Downtown Pensacola cell 850-293-2292 | office 850-434-2244

In 2018, Make Plans to have lunch and dinner at:

1500 Barrancas Ave, Pensacola, FL 32502 850-432-1119

Slips Eatery Hours: 10:30-8:00 Mon-Sat

Olive Drop Martini Bar Hours: 4:00-until

OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK - 5-7 HAPPY HOUR BEST PLACE TO HOST PRIVATE PARTIES 432-1119 • Best Martinis in Town - 36 Flavors to Choose From • Best Bartenders Risa and Dave • Live Music on Friday & Saturday • Open Mic Wednesday - Thursday • Traditional Fried Seafood Fresh Every Day